Process of making ammonia



To all whom it may concern:

"citizen of the .United States, re

umraof s'rA'ras PATENT OFFICE.

xan'r. r. memoir, or wasnmo'ro w, nrsriucr or eommara, assumes r0 ammo crmurcans mo, or wasnmerou, msrmcr or commnra, a 'coaroaarron or DELAWARE.

No Drawing. Application filed December 24, 1917, Serial K0. 208,64 I No. 443,224. j

Be. it known that I,'K. P. MoELaoY, a siding at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Am monia, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relatesto processes of mak-, ing ammonia; and it comprises a method of producin ammonia from atmospheric nh trogen w erein'an apparatus of t e general t pe of a gas producer or -blastfurnace is arg'ml with carbon' (charcoal, coal or coke ,a natural silicious material cqntaiuin tash, lime or limestone, and returned' afi ali together with, usuallmore or less iron, and is run with the aid 0 a hot blast at such a temperature'as'to: form a molten slag and fumes of potassium cyanid, such fumes fof.

cyanid bein led otl' together with the roducer gas ormed, the fumes condense to separate the same from the gas, the cyanid I broken up with steam or hot water to form ammonia and recover tash, and the recovered potash returne to the charge; all as more fully hereinafter set forthand as claimed.

It has long been known that potassium cyanid is readily formed by the interaction of nitro en, tash ,(as hydrate or carbonate) an car n-at about a red heat; and

various attempts, some on ,arather large commercial scale, were made to utilize this fact. many years-ago; but without success for the reason that the cyanid cost more to produce than it was worth. Most] alka ized charcoal was used; that is, c arcoal soaked in a solution of potassium carbonate to secure intimate contact, and then' dried.- This material was heated in various ways, (generally in retorts) in a current of nitro-- gen,v (or of air deoxidized by carbon) untll cyanidation had gone as far as was deemed advisable. The charcoal was then removed and leached to recover cyanid,- or, in case enough of, the carbon had disappeared, a

molten mixture of cyanids, other salts, slag "lumps, excess carbon, etc., was tapped o from the ap aratus, cooled and extracted with water. Vhatever the way of working, the loss of potashwas inordinate; only about a third of the potash used being recovered as yanid or in any useful form. Partof Specification of Lent" Patent.

' Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

the loss was as fume carried away by the escaping gases, the cyanid like other potassium salts being rather volatile, part was due to lixiviation losses and part was unaccounted for. Much of the potash was converted into complex silicates and other insoluble compounds; and much'of the carbon left in 'th'e treated charge was so fine as to make thorough leaching unprofitable. There were heating and other difficulties in the operationybut the non-success was mainly due to this loss of potash.

Inthe present invention it is my chief aim to convert atmospheric-nitrogen into ammonia and I utilize the described "cyanidforming reaction as ameans to this end. In the cyanid-making operation however I rearrange conditions so as to obviate and avoid the noted difficulties. Slagging losses I re- 7. Renewed february 7, 1921. Serial duce or'obviate by the use ofhigh temperawholly consuming the carbon and by work ing attemperatures high enough -to produce cyanid in volatilized or fume form passin forward with the eilluent gases from ma it isosubseque'ntly se arated and recovered. The recovered cyani is treated with steam or hot water to hydrolize orbreak it up intoammonia and oxidized potassium com pounds; these latter being then returned to the cyanid-making operation for use anew. Aswill be noted, the potash in the present invention is, so to s ak, in cyclic eirculation; the same potas is used overand over again producing indefinitel great amounts ofco'mbin'ed nitrogen in t e'form of ammorria. There is-of course some loss of potash, but inoperating under thestated conditions this loss much; and what deficit there may be is cheaply'imd readily replenished b incliiding m thecharge relatively smal proportions or natural potassiferous silicates such as feldspar, greensand, leucite, etc. As the formation of a certain amount of slag in the present operation isdesirable, it is possible to rise rather more of these minerals than will suffice to replenish potash losses, in which event there may even be a surplus of potash. However, as'stated'i e main object of the present invention is the "produc; ion of ammonia rather than any of rer product;

does not amount 'toadapted for high temperatures,

and such potash or potassium cyanid as may ,be incidentally produced or marketed I regard as aby-product. f 1n thecyaugd-makin'g'stage of'my operation, I use an gpporatus of the general type of an ordinary -jslaggiiiggas producer It is best "lined witha basic lining su'ch as magnesia or deed-burnt dolomitepand may have water coc'ed walls. The charge is composed of coal or coke, recovered potash, lime or limestone and potash-bearing silicates in sulficient amounts to make up .for any losses'of potash in the operation. Usually I include some iron or iron oxidin the charge. Air

.is supplied asa hot-blast; heating of the blast being by the use of ordinaryblast furnace stoves, orby i'egenerators or recuperatorsderiving heat from the waste gases of the operation; These gases are very hot and are of high combustible valuef No intimate mixture of the charge components is necessary; andomthe other-hand the charge should be open and permeable to 'permit rather coarse stron cok e-ofth'e grade known as metallurgical co eis advisable. Coaljor charcoahmaybe used. ,Charcoal has the advantage that itj'im'p'orts some potash and some lime into the cha rge;-butits use is not 'necessary..' In one resp'ect the apparatus the potassium cyanid is to be produced. in fume form and carriedforwa-rd by'the gases out of the.-apparatus so that filtration and cooling of the gases by thccold charge is not permissible.

In the re: u-ti on apparatus, the use of the hot blast develops avery high temperature and forms jordinary producer as; that is a nixture of carbon monoxid O) and iii trdgcn The, carbon monoxid is, 'for present purposesand at the temperatures here used,

inert. In. the operation the carbon reacts on the potash, reducing itto metallic potassiunr and forming more carbon monoxid.

Sincepotassi nu boils at about 720 C. and

the temperatures in the reaction chamber are here intendcd'to be at least 1000 C., and may be 'muclnhiglrer with advantage, the potassium is produced in vapor form; in

i which 'conditimits union with carbon and nitrogen to form cyanid takes pla-ce'readily and quickly. -.-\s the carbon wastes away in the formationof producer gas,=and' potassium cyanid its ash constituents.unite with and are fluxed by the lime of the charge to form a fusible basic slag. In proportioning the charge I- commonly-use as much limestone or lime as pomible without making the slag too infusible to flow readily. Such a slag at the temperatures here used has but little tendency to take up potash or metallic oxids such as'oxids of iron and is light colored. The more basic the slag can be made, the less is the tendency to loss of potash in it. Enough lime is of couise added to take care of the added potassiferous silicates of the charge. As such silicates I may use feldspar (orthoclase orf leucite, both'of which are rich in potash; or I may use greensand which is a double silicate of iron and potassium. Theuse of greensand has the advantage that it puts iron in the charge where it is desirable. Iron seems to have a catalytic effect in promoting the formation of cyanid; and such iron silicates as may enter theslag'renderit more fusible. Any iron produced in the operation ma of course be marketed as a valuable by-pro uct.

M'hen I do not use g'reensa'nd and where m a little scrap iron. As long as there is some '1ron mthe charge, the form inzwlii'ch it is added is not very materiala Theuse of greensand has the. advantage,v that it adds .ironand. potash simultaneously and that it isf averycheap material. a

-I provide the reaction chamberor producer'withthe usual typeof twyers and slag notches. Such iron as may be produced in the action is tapped oil" in the usual manner.

It may. be returned to thecharge if; desired;

or some proportion of it may be so returned. The gas produced is like ordinary producer gasliave that. it is considerably richer. All the actions in the apparatus produce carbon monoxid while a considerable proportion of the diluting. nitrogen is taken out as cyanid. The cyanid is formed 'as a fume; usually The presence of this carbon or dust is of no consequence and no measures need be taken to avoid it since all solid matters are ultimately returned to the "reaction chamber where carbon and carbonaceous materials are burnt and silicates -fluxed.

The .very hot carries myanid and, usually more or less fumiform potash in 'black from accompanying carbon and dust.

other compounds and these materials may be separated from the gas in-any of the usual \vays-zulop'ted for separating and recovering fume. For'this purpose, the gas is best cooled somewhat to condense anypotassif erous vapors though this .coolingnecd not he to any=.]ow degree. After leaving the reaction chamber it ma y be first led through a comparatively large steel quieting chamber where it is somewhat cooled and its velocity reduced. vith the result of depositing much of the cyanid as dust or molten liquid as the case may be. .From this q'uieting work well.

' collection of the cyanid, it is placed in any'suitable steel 'or iron containerand steamed. 'The use of high temperature chamber it inay be led through baliled chambers, centrifugal fume separators, filters: electrical precipitators, or any other suitable" device for collecting residual fume. Electrical recipitators, such as'those formerly used or collecting sublimed white lead,

The use of -ba filters is not advisable, potassium cyanid icing corrosive in its action on textile fibers in the presence of moisture. It is also inadvisable to use steam for condensing or aiding incondensing, the fume since this leads to formationof ammonia which oe'sforward with the residual gas. To co act this ammonia, the gas must be cooled and its heat is thereby usually wasted.

steam is advisable; The cyanid may be placed in an autoclave or an ordinary boiler and heated with water under pressure; but the use of steam is, simpler, Steam reacts with the cyanid to .form ammonia, which goes forward as a gas for collection in the usual ways, and potassium form'ate; this formate usually then breaking down again to a greater or less extent to form-carbonate and various other bodies. The residue after the steaming is a saline mass containing potassium formate, carbonate, hydrate, etc. Often it contains more or lessnitrogen. Its composition is, however, for the present purposes a matter of -more or less indifference since I return-it to the producer where it is at once broken up, givin potash and potassium. According sto t e circumstances and the temperatures used'dn hydrolysis, the

residue may appear as a dry saline mass, 0.

fused material or a water solution. Whatever its state, it is returned to the reaction chamber in any convenient way.- One convenient way is to make a concentrated solution or magma of it, if it be not such a solution or magma already, and sprinkle 'this over one or more of the constituents of the charge on the way to the reaction chamber? Distributing it rather uniformly throughthe charge in some manner is advantageous though not necessary since its potassium will be released as va r and permeate the charge in any event. sing .a solution 'or a wet magma, unless special drying means for the charge be ado ted, it is better to prolong =;the reaction c amber upwards some distance beyond the point of gas exit to allow a certain amount of drymg'to take place without interfering with the high tem ra .tures in the reaction zone. I do not esirewater vapors to gain access to my reaction cone although a certain amount may-there occur without material influence on the tio'ns. For this reason if it bedesirable.t0. supply an endothermic to the draft, I furnishat as products of combustion. I may,

is usually em loye for example, burn a certain amount of the gas freed from cyanid and introduce the hot products. of combustion directly into the raft current.

The sla produced in the present process because 0 its highl basic nature has'a certain degree of hy raulic nature; and it may-be ground and used for cementitious purposes; or it may be used as a component of mixtures for making cement clinker. Being very low in iron it is light colored or ggay. The rich producer as formed may used for any of the ordinary heating or power purposes. Because of its-richness in O and freedom from hydrogen it is welladapted for use in (gas en 'nes. Some of it for eating the blast;

but this is or inarily only aminor amount.-

As will'be noted, in the present process I urn 'virtuallylderiving m'ypotasl from the cheap natural silicates ,while at "the same time I am using in my reaction-chamber a charge which is much more concentrated as regards potash than any charge which could be obtained by the use of such natura-l-silis cates as the only .potassiferouscomponents.

1e consumption of, fuel is only that which is necessary for keeping up the temperature in the producer, for forming. the cyanid- '.and for forming and melting a small amount of slag; while an exceptionally rich producer gas is given to help pay part of the operation. -Ammonia is formed from atmospheric nitrogen with only the consumpt ion of fuel and limestone .and such'an 'spar, greensand, mica (micaschist, etc'.,) for replenishment it is of course quite pos-- sible in viewof the small amount ordina-v rily needed to use materials not so rich, such as ordinary granites, gneisses, syenite's,

leucite rocks, etc. Granites and gneisses often run- 2 to 6 per cent. K 0, and

pounds of granite will of course introduce 2 to 6 ounds of K,() which is often all that is nee ed for replenishment ofsome tons of charge. c While I haves-spoken specifically 'of the use-of potash inmy charge it will of coursebe understood that sodium may also occur therein and play a useful part. Sodium is,

'100 amount of natural potassiferous silicates as not nearly so active in forming cyanid as potassium; but it .has' a certain measure of activity; and particularly inthe presenceoff plenty of iron. The natural silicates used for replenishment, even when -characteristically potassium minerals, nearly all contain substantial amounts of sodium ;-'and its pres- 'late in the'charge.

' ence does no harm. Sodium has more tendency to enter the-basicslags made in the present process than has potassium and where both alkalis are present, the sodium '5 tends to exclude the-potassium from the slag. The'presence of-some sodiumis therefore oftenuseful, apart from its cyanid forming activity, in permittir'; less basic and more fusible slags' to be ma and lower 1 temperature operation withoutcorresponding lossof pgtash. .But 'I deem it better where using th alkalis to have more pot-- ash thanaoda; say at leasttwice as much. \Vhere' it is'desirable to add" replenishing soda, ordinary soda ash (sodium carbonate) may be used. Some measure of the advantages of the resent'pro'c'ess'ma be attained by'using a insteadof potash. .ing, the charge mayiie made up of recovered soda,.a-certain amount of soda ash, iron ore, coke and limestone; and the operation otherwise'conducted as previously described.

. vMost tassiferous mmerals contain more of less of the. other alkali metals (lithium,

rubidium and caesium) and these no nothe process; They are more active 1pm" sodium and replace'the potassium to theei'rtentfto which they occur. By using lenty off replenishing silicates and remov- "1ng some of the potassium formed in producing ammonia, these other alkalis may be made to'accumulate in'the'charge. By using lithia micaffor example, as the replenishin silicate. lithia may 'be made to accumu- In operation under the present invention, potash from any convenient source may be employed in making the charge. It should berelatively free fromxchlorids or sulfates. 40 Or, the charge may begmade witha natural silicate without added potash and the charge gradually built up to the desired richness in potash by; return of potash recovered from .the cyanld. I \Vhat I claim"i s: LThe. process of producing ammonia wliic hcomprises passing air'at a high tem- ..peiat u'ref through a pervious charge comprising lime, carbon and returned potas i.-

Q thetemperature being high enough to pro-. ducepo t'a ssium.; cyanid in fume form. remci'ing the hot ases containing the fume, separating the fiiine to recover potassium .cyanid-,"hydrolyzing the potassium cyanid p .55 produce ammonia and a potassiferous residue and returning the potassiferous residue "to form part oflacharge. a

The process of producing ammonia which .compriscsi passing air at a high tem- 00 mature through a p'ervious charge comprismg lime, carbon and returned potash and potassiferous silicates. the temperature being high enough to produce potassium cyaanitl in fume form, removing the hot gases to containing-thefu ne, separating the fume to In sodorecover potassium ,cyanid, hydrolyzing the potassium cyanid to produce :ammonia and p produce potassium cyanid in fume form, re

moving the hot' ases containing the fume, separating the ume to recover potassium cyanid, hydrolyzing the potassium'cyanid to produce ammonia and a potassiferous residue and returnin potassiferous residue to form art of a c arge.

4. he process of producing ammonia which comprises passing airat a high temperature .through a ervious charge comprising lime, iron, car n and returned potash and potassiferous silicates, the temperature being high enough toproduce potassium cyanid 1n fume form, removing the hot gases containing the fume, separating 'the fumeto recover potassium cyanid, hy-

drolyzing' the potassium cyanid to produce ammoniaand a fpotassiferous residue andreturning potassi erous residue to form part of a charge, the amount, of such potassifrous silicates being at least sutlicient to re plenish potash losses in theoperation.

5. In. the manufacture of ammonia from atmosphericnitrogen'the process which comprises treating a quantity of potash with carbon and with nitrogen in the form of air at a high temperature to form fun'iiform cyanid, removing the fumes andcollecting the cyanid, hydrolyzing the cyanid tqtform ammonia and potash compounds and returning the potash compounds for retreatment with carbon and nitrogen at a high temperature. 1

6. In the manufacture of ammonia from atmosphericmitrogen the process which comprises continuously supplying to a reaction .chamber of the nature of a slugging producer a pervious charge comprising returned potash, fuel, sufficient lime to form -a basic slag and a. replenishing amount of potaasif erous natural silicate, blowing suchcharge with hot air to produce a temperature there in at which potassium cyanid will be pro- 'duced in fume form andsuch slag wil be fused, tap-ping off the molten slag, removing the gases and fumes of potassium cyanid, hydrolyzing the cyanid to form ammonia and a potassiferous residue and returning such residue to the charge.

7.- In the manufacture of ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen the proccss which comprises supplying a suitable producer-like basic. lined'reaction chamber with a charge of natural silicious material containing pot ash, fuel and limestone, blowlng thesame with 0t air to establish a tem rature cape} blezo' formin fumiform pot ium cyanid and 'moltengs a removin the gases containing the cyanid, ,hydro gzing the same to form ammonia and resi ual ota'sh, returning residual potash to the c arge, and continuing the operation with a charge composed of such returned potash, fue, stone and such an amount of such .silicious material as maybe necessary to compensate for losses in potash. 8. In the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen the process which comprises employingpotassium in uninterrupted cycle, said potassium passing first in contact with fuel and nitrogen at a high enough temperature to form and volatilize potassium cyanid, enough lime being present during this stage to prevent remova of potash by ashcomponents of said fuel, recovering the potassium'cyanid fumes, hydrolyzing said cyanid' the amount of such lime being sufficient to 30 'ing a hot blast to the bottom .of the charge,

form a rather basic and light colored slag I having a certain amount of hydraulic value, withdrawing hot gases and cyanid fumes (carried thereby from a point in the furnace near the point of introduction of the hot blast and collecting the cyanid carried by said gases.

In testimony whereof, I hereto.

- K. P. MQELROY.

afiix my signature 

